Together at Last!

Yesterday (Wednesday) was supposed to be the day - but you know how it goes sometimes - you can never really be sure when it comes to construction scheduling - the parts didn't come in, the right person didn't show up, the weather was just wrong...

I also forgot my cell phone at home yesterday and seeing as how the contractor didn't have my work number and Dan is often unavailable by phone during the day, who knows what could have happened.

However (!!), when I rounded the corner and started down my street, the previously overwhelming crib piles were notably absent!  It happened just as they said it would happen.  My house is together at last.  No longer floating aimlessly in the air, the house has landed.  The steel stringers are gone.  The four large crib piles are gone.  The temporary stairs are still there and there is still a lot to be done but this is real progess!

The interior stairs will start near the front door in the left corner of the picture and head up to the right

The Reality

Framing is fast!  By the end of last week the crawl space was framed and the joists for the first floor were in - I really don't know the lingo.  Anyhoo, this week we moved on to the first floor.  It is strange to see the windows and new doors framed in and you can actually start to see what it will look like as a house.  There is a little issue (hmmm architect measuring in the field on a paper napkin) with moving around the back deck to the shop door but apparently that was worked out today - I just haven't been informed as of this post.  Maybe we will be set back down again by next week! 

It's been a good year for hops.  Keep your fingers crossed for the tomatoes. 

The Houseboat

I'm just going to post some photos of the progress now and write some more later.  It seems like not much has happened but I guess that it takes a little bit of time to build a house. 

The temporary stairs!  It definitely bites to forget something at the bottom...

Lupe navigating said stairs - see mom - there are railings!

dirt moving

framed foundation

poured foundation

framed crawl space

the corner of the living room where the fireplace used to be.  what to do here now?  the freestanding gas will go here...

Remove and Replace Foundation - don't bury the chickens!

Last Thursday and Friday (prior to mega wedding weekend), the old foundation and concrete walkways were removed and piled onto the sidewalk strip.  A mess!  Right now the yard is feeling a bit chaotic.  However, when I returned home on Friday, I came upon this scene - large man operating large crane plucking large concrete chunks from the sidewalk -

Large man on the crane cement plucking dumper thing

This job site does not pass my sediment inspection...

Um, as a certified CESCL (Construction Erosion and Sediment Control Lead), I'm not sure this job site passes.  Oh, and post sudden rain storm, it all washed into the storm drain.  Sorry fishes!  Well, now let's move on to prepping some foundation!  At least I'm getting used to the fact that it feels like we are living on a boat sometimes.   

The gravel truck arrives...

On Friday, I had left the house and then came back to the gravel truck.  My first question being...Are they going to just dump it!  Well, luckily they had a better plan - they piped it - oh, construction technology.

Piping the gravel to the foundation - such a smart idea - I'm sure there is a name for it.

Can you spot the chickens in the garden bed in the background?  Whoops!  I forgot to shut their door last night!

The photo above is this morning (8-5-10) - the foundation looks prepped - watch out chickens because I'm not sure when they are going to pour!!!

Treehouse living...

Temporary stairs up to the door that will be no more.

The house at its almost final elevation - it will be lowered about 14 inches when the steel beams are removed.

I came home on Thursday afternoon and was able to see the house hovering above the neighborhood before I turned the corner.  Seriously weird!  I'm putting a lot of faith in the house raisers right now - when the washing machine was on its final spin dry the whole house was rocking back and forth.  Maybe I won't do laundry for a little while.  The house is now at almost its final raised elevation in its new role as "2nd story".  The next steps will be to pour the new foundation (after everything is cleared and graded of course) and then to frame in the first floor.  Once the first floor is framed in, they can lower the existing house (new 2nd story) down onto the newly framed first floor.